Gender policy: a case of instrumental Europeanization?

Abstract

This chapter deals with the gender policy effects of Turkey's integration with the European Union (EU). It begins with an outline of the EU gender regime, and then provides a snapshot of gender policy in Turkey as of 1999 before assessing it in relation to the EU gender policy standard at the time. Then, the chapter maps post-1999 gender policy developments in Turkey, which constitutes the background for the subsequent assessment of the ways in which the EU accession process has influenced them. As with the acquis communautaire in general, the gender acquis has developed incrementally over time, and currently consists of multiple treaty provisions and directives, case law in the form of European Court of Justice (ECJ) rulings and various "soft" measures. The chapter concludes with a discussion on the extent to which it makes sense to talk about the Europeanization of gender policy in Turkey.